Manifolding



C. W. BRENN MANIFOLDING Original Filed May 19, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR ATTORNE Oct. 28, 1941. w BRENN 2,260,601

I MANIFOLDING Original Filed May 19, 1938 3 Sheets-She'et 2 INVENTORCarZ WBrenn BY KEATTIORNEY (I Oct. 28, 1941. c. w. BRENN 0 MANIFOLDINGOriginal Filed May 19, 1938 INVENTOR Carl W Brenn BY QTISMQ g g ATTORNEYPatented Oct. 28, 1941 MANIFOLDING Carl W. Brenn, Montclair, N. 1.,assignor to Autographic Register 00., Boboken, N. J., a corporation ofNew Jersey Original application May 19, 1938, Serial No. 208,795.Divided and this application October 28, 1938, Serial No. 237,375

16 Claims.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No.208,795 and relates to the method and apparatus for making manifoldingmaterial, and, more particularly, collated sets of record and carbonsheets.

Heretofore it has been proposed to collate continuous printed recordstrips with interleaved carbon strips, secure the strips together, andcut the strip into sheet-lengths for use. The record strips usually havealong one margin a weakening line constituting a stub or binding marginwithin which the strips may be secured together, and along whichweakening line the record sheets may be torn when it is desired toremove the record sheets from the carbon sheets after the writingoperation has been performed.

Various means for securing the collated carbon strips and record stripshave been proposed, including wire staples going through the pile ofstrips in the binding margins, and adhesives applied to the bindingmargin as the strips arebeing collated and before they are cut intosheetlengths. It has been difiicult, when applying adhesive to paperstrips to secure them together, to have the adhesive applied in just theright quantity and at just the right degree of wetness, with the resultthat some of the sheets would adhere together satisfactorily whileothers would not. Yet, it is decidedly preferable, in many situations,to fasten the strips with an adhesive rather than with staples.

The present invention contemplates the securing of the strips togetherby a dry adhesive, which is caused to adhere to the strips as a resultof being heated rather than as a result of being wetted, as is thecommon practice. This avoids the use of water or wet adhesives on or inthe vicinity of the collating machine, and enables the collating, theregistering, and finally the cutting of the strips into form-lengths tobe performed without the messiness attendant upon the use of water andwet adhesive on or about a machine of this kind.

The adhesive material used preferably is such that it is rendered tackywhen heated to temperatures in excess of body temperature and in theparticular form of the invention herein disclosed, the adhesive forsecuring thev strips together is applied to the carbon or transferstrips, preferably while coating these strips with carbon. For thispurpose, the carbon strip is usually left with one or more uncoatedmargins, and the heat-set adhesive is applied to the uncoated margin ina wet state with such a vehicle or solvent as will dry rapidly. Theadhesive is preferably of the type which is not tacky and which isimpervious to water.

With this new article of manufacture consisting of a continuous stripcoated with transfer material and having areas thereof provided with adry adhesive, it is merely necessary, in making the collated sets of therecord and transfer sheets, to collate the strips and bring them intoregister and then, while in registration, to apply heat to the pile ofstrips so that the adhesive on the carbons becomes activated and adheresto the adjacent record strip. By applying the adhesive to both the faceand the back of the carbon strip, the carbon strip itself becomes thebinding unit for holding together the record strip above it and belowit, and it is irmnaterial how many carbon strips and record strips arecontained within the pile, so long as suflicient heat can be applied toactivate the adhesive material carried by the carbon strips.

The present invention also provides for apparatus for collating,registering, and cutting oflE the assembled record and carbon strips,with provision being made for applying heat to the piles of strips,either localized to portions of the binding margins or to the entiresurface of the binding margin.'

The adhesive material employed may be of any suitable kind. Forinstance, it may consist of a thermoplastic lacquer containing a solventor vehicle which quickly evaporates and leaves the coating ofthermoadhesive material dry and impervious to water or moisture. Sinceit can be applied to the carbon strip in the carbon-coating machine, itsmanufacture becomesa simple matter, because operators of carbon-coatingmachines are familiar with coating processes and can regulate, withconsiderable skill and certainty, the quantity of adhesive applied tothe carbon strip, and practically the only additional cost in themanufacture of the carbon strip of the present invention materialitself.

In the broader aspects of the invention, the adhesive, applied to thecarbon strip and dried, may be of the water-solubletype without losingall of the advantages above referred to. -It is true that, if theadhesive is of the water-soluble type, it must be moistened as it goesto the collating machine, but then, the mere moisteni-ng of the strip isbetter than an attempt to apply the adhesive at the collating machine;and, by applying the adhesive to the carbon, as when coating the stripwith transfer material, the quantity of adhesive applied may becontrolled is the cost of the adhesive 2 with accuracy. Likewise, otherforms of adhesive may be used with more or less advantage, dependingupon the particular circumstances,

any. attempt is made to collate the carbon strip with record strips.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of theimproved carbon strip of the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows a pile of manifolding sets made according to the presentinvention, with one manifolding set falling in place on the pile.

Fig. 3 .is a perspective view, showing the manner in which the recordsand carbons are assembled, registered and fed, pressed into adheringrelation, and cut off into sheet-lengths.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view, showing the record and carbon stripsbeing led "from individual zigzag folded piles to the collating machineshown in Fig. 3. 2

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a manifolding set made according to thepresent invention, in which the records and carbons are caused to adhereto each other at limited zonesof attachment.

Fig. 6 isa view of a manifolding set partially rolled back and showingthe relation of the carbon sheet and record sheets.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing another form of theinvention.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view similar to Fig. 4;

showing the form of the invention shown in Fig. 7.

The carbon strip claimed in Said copending application comprises a longcontinuous strip it of paper, orother suitable fabric, coated, usuallyon one side only, with carbon or transfer material ii, and folded atpredetermined intervals along transverse lines to make a zigzag foldedpile 12. One longitudinal margin it of the carbon strip is leftuncarbonized, and on this longitudinal margin there is provided, by anysuitable method, a coating of adhesive material M. This coating ofadhesive material may be applied to the strip ill at the same time thestrip is provided with the coating of transfer material ii, andpreferably the adhesive material it is provided on both the front andback of the carbon strip. The adhesive I6! is dried before the strip iszigzag folded, and the zigzag folded pile I12 is stored in thiscondition until it is to be collated with the record strips.

The adhesive M, as stated above, may be of any suitable kind. It may bewater-soluble, in which case it is merely necessary to wet it just priorto collating the carbon strip with record strips. Preferably, however,the adhesive M is of a kind which, while dry and nontacky, may beactivated by pressure and/or heat, so that when the carbon strip iscollated and brought into registration with record strips, it is merelynecessary to press, or to press and heat, the adhesive I 4, therebycausing it to adhere to the record strip material with which it is incontact. Preferably, a thermoplastic adhesive is used, requir ingonlyheat in excessof body heat with sumcient pressure to bring thecarbon strip into intimate contact with the record strips, and such anadhesive material is in ;the form of a then moplastic lacquer having a.highly volatile vehicle, so that when the adhesive is applied to thecarbon strip in the making of the latter, 'the vehicle will quicklyevaporate, leaving the therprovided it is applied to the carbon stripbefore into registration.

moplastic lacquer on the marginal portion of the carbon strip, and indry and nontacky condition.

. The strips and packs formed therefrom, as the adhesive material is notaffected by temperatures approximating body temperature, may be handledwithout danger. of the adhesive becoming tacky and adhering to thehandlers fingers or to adjacent portions of the strip or pack.

In any event, by stripping the carbon strip with the adhesive I4 whilecoating the strip with transfer material H, the quantity of adhesivecontained by the carbon strip may be very accurately determined, so thatneither too much nor too little adhesive material is carried by thecarbon strip. By applying the coating of adhesive to the carbon stripsimultaneously with the coating of the strip with carbon or transfermaterial Il,the same coating machine operator -may attend to both thecarbon coating and the adhesive coating.

Of course, if desired, the carbon strip I0 may be supplied in roll formrather than in zigzag folded pack form, as shown in the accompanyingdrawings.

In addition to having the adhesive It in the longitudinal margin l3 ofthe carbon strip, this margin also has apertures Iii predeterminedlyspaced throughout its length. Depending upon the way in which the carbonstrip is collated with record strips, these apertures may be used forfeeding a superposed pile of record and transfer strips, or they may beused merely for registering the carbon strip with the record strips.Preferably, the apertures G5 are used both for registering and feedingthe carbon strip with the record strips.

When it is desired to collate the carbon strips with the record stripsHi to make the manifolding sets claimed in said copending application,the zigzag folded piles ll of record strips are placed in a row, andinterposed between them are placed the piles ii. of carbon strips, asshown in Fig. 4. The ends of the strips it and it are then led overguide rollers l8 and from thence on to a collating table 09 where theyare in superposed position, being held down by a pressure roller 28.

The record strips 8 t have printed forms 2 i, and in one longitudinalmarginal portion have apertures 22 in predetermined and definiterelation with regard to the printing on the forms. This aperturedbinding margin 23 of the record strips it is defined by a longitudinalline of weakness 2 3.

The superposed pile of record and carbon strips may bebrought togetherin registration on the collating table by any suitable means, preferablyby bringing the registering apertures i6 in the carbons and 22 in therecords all into. alignment with each other.

This may be done conveniently by providing a pair of pins 25, as shownin the accompanying drawings, which project up through the records andcarbon. strips and substantially fit the apertures to thereby bring therecords, and carbons Having been brought into registration, the pile ofstrips may be advanced in any suitable way along the collating table is.Here, again, the pins 25 may be employed, and for this purpose they arepreferably mounted on a carriage 2% having an actuating link 21 by meansof which they may be reciprocated along the paper table. Any suitablemechanism for withdrawing the pins from the pile, returning the pins tostarting position, projecting them through the pile again, and advancingthem, may be employed. The pins 25 and carriage 26 advance thesuperposed pile form-length intervals intermittently, so that the pileof strips may be caused to adhere together and may be severed intosheet-lengths.

To cause the carbons and records, or at least a binding marginal portionthereof, to be brought to intimate contact, the collating tablepreferably has a pressure device 28 which may be pivoted at. 29 to theframe 30, and which has an actuating link 3! by means of which it israised from and pressed down upon the pile of strips. When the adhesive[4 is of the kind which is thermoplastic,

the pressure device 28 is heated preferably by electrical resistancerolls to which current is fed by wires 32. Also, to facilitate theheating of the pile of records and carbon strips, a heating device 33may be incorporated in the table 29, and this also has wires, as, forinstance, wires 34, carrying current to it. The record and carbon stripsare cut off into manifolding sets 35 by a guillotine or other suitableform of knife 33 operated in any suitable way.

The mechanism of the machine is so coordinated that when the pile ofstrips has been advanced by the pins 25, the latter remain instripholding position until the presser 28 presses down on and firmlyengages the strips at the binding marginal portions thereof. As shown,one form, in advance of the form engaged by the pins, is the one whichis engaged by the presser, and thus it will be seen that the record andtransfer strips are in accurate registration at the time that they arecause to adhesively engage each other. After the presser 28 engages thepile of record and transfer strips, the knife 36 may be operated to outoff a manifolding set 35, and the pins 25 may recede and return to pOition to again feed the forms.

It should be noted at this point that since the carbon strip has theadhesive It on both its front and back, when it is pressed into intimatecontact with the overlying and underlying record strips, it itselfconstitutes the medium for uniting the upper and lower record strips,and that it is immaterial now many record and transfer strips aresuperposed in the pile, so long as suiiicient heat may be applied to theadhesive-containing margins of the pile to make it effective. Theadhesive could, of course, be applied to the binding margin ,of therecord strips, but in this case the uppermost strip would be coated withadhesive only on the underside, the intermediate strips would be coatedon both the upper side and the underside, and the bottom strip would becoated only on the upper side, and hence it would be necessary to knowin advance and to carefully see that each record strip was properaccording to the position which it is to take in the pile. With thecarbon strip coated on both sides with adhesive as above described, itis immaterial what order the carbon strips have in the pile, and any ofthe record strips may be made the top one or the bottom one or theintermediate ones, since there is always one carbon strip between tworecord strips.

Preferably, the presser 28 engages the entire binding margin 23 and I3of the record and carbon respectively, so that, in the manifolding set35, the entire margin 23 is secured together as a laminated pile.However, if desired, the adhesive may be activated only in spots,diagrammatically indicated by the shaded areas 31 in Fig. 5. In thiscase, of course, the presser 28 would have restricted areas of contactwith the pile, depending upon the size and position of the spots 31.

As is common practice, the carbon strip I0 is narrower than the recordstrips l6, so that the record sheets 16a of the manifolding set 35project beyond the carbon sheets Illa. With this arrangement, afterwriting is performed on the manifolding set 35, the record strips aregrasped at their projecting margins with one hand while the bindingmargins 23 are grasped by the other hand. By pulling the hands apart,the record sheets |6a will sever from the binding margin along the linesof weakness 24, leaving the carbon sheets Illa secured together by thebinding margin and the record sheets I6a free of interleaved carbonmaterial. The feeding and registering of the record strips with therelatively narrow carbon strip is greatly facilitated by the provisionof the feeding and registering holes l5 and 22 in the carbons and recordstrips respectively.

As shown herein, the lines of writing in the forms 2i extendlongitudinally of the strips, placing the binding margin 23 at the topof the form. This is a very satisfactory way of arranging themanifolding material, especially where the writing operations are to beperformed on the typewriter. However, it should be understood that theforms may extend transversely of the strips if desired. By having theapertures l5 and 22 extending through the strips, the pile of strips maybe brought to desired position on the typewriting machine,or otherwriting device, by wellknown means, including aligning or registeringpins.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the carbon stripI0 is narrower and does not have any registering apertures therein butis provided only wit-h a narrow band of adhesive material M on bothsides of the strip along the longitudinal margin.

With the registering apertures omitted from the carbon strip, oneoperation on the strip is eliminated in the preparation thereof and thecoating of adhesive, either of the thermoplastic or water-soluble type,can be applied to the margin strip at the same time the coating ofcarbon is applied, and the strips packaged in roll or zigzag. foldedpack form.

The record strips it, in this form of the invention, have printed forms2i thereon and have a binding margin 23 defined by a perforated tearline 26 with registering apertures 22 formed in the binding margin as inthe form of the invention first above described, In the form of theinvention shown in these figures, the binding margin is unmutilated fora major portion of the length of each form, as the registering aperturesare relatively closely spaced and positioned in the corner of each formadjacent the side margin of the strip as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The apertures in each form-length cooperate with the registering pins 25and associated mechanism to register and feed the record strips as inthe previously described form of the invention.

When it is desired to collate the record strips and carbon-strips, thesupplies of zigzag folded record strips and rolls of prepared carbonstrip are disposed as shown in Fig. 8, and the strips led therefrom overthe guide rollers l8 to the collating table l9 to be held thereon by thepressure roller 20.

As shown in' Figs. 6 and 7, the adhesive margin of the carbon strip isnarrower than the binding margin of the record strips. When the stripsare fed onto the collating table, the carbon strips are --apertures inthe record strips and the line of perforations. This is clearly shown inthe view of a manifolding set folded back in Fig. 6.

In starting the collating operation, the strips are assembled with thecarbon sheet properly positioned in the pile so that the adhesive marginlies in the desired zone in the binding margin of the strips. The firstset is caused to adhere together and thus hold the leading ends of thecarbon strips in place. Adjacent the rollers IB are guide means fit, onefor each carbon strip, which are adjusted by suitable means to engagethe edge of the carbon strips and properly locate them with respect tothe lateral margin of the record strips as they are fed along so thatthey lie in the desired zone in the binding margin and do not overliethe registering apertures in the record strips.

The assembled pile of strips are caused to adhere together as by havingheat and pressure applied to the binding margins thereof while on thecollating table by the heating device 28 and its associated mechanism,after which the-sets are severed from the continuous strips by a cuttingmeans 36 as in the previously described form of the invention.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of thisinvention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. The herein described method of making manifolding material, the stepsof applying thermo-active adhesive to both faces of a transfer stripalong the margin thereof, permitting said adhesive to dry so that saidstrip may be handled, interleaving the transfer strip with'a pluralityof record strips so that the margins of the record strips engage thedried adhesive carried by the margin of the transfer strip, and applyingheat and pressure to the margins to secure the strips togetheras a unit.

2. The herein described method of making manifolding material, the stepsof applying thermoplastic adhesive to both faces of a transfer stripalong the margin thereof and drying the same so that'said strip may bestored, subsequently interleaving the transfer strip with a plurality ofrecord strips so that the record strips engage the adhesive-carryingmargin of the transfer strip, and applying heat and pressure to themargins of the interleaved strips to cause the thermoplastic adhesive toadhere the record strips to the transfer strip.

The herein described method of making manifolding sets which consists ofpreparing continuous printed record strips with registering and feedingapertures along one longitudinal margin, preparing continuous carbonstrips with registering and feeding apertures along one marginal portionand with dry thermoplastic adhesive material in' said apertured marginalportion on both the front and the back of the carbon strips,interleaving said record and carbon strips in superposed relation withthe apertured'marginal portions over one another, registering saidstrips by means of said'apertures, intermittently advancing said stripssheet-length intervals, and, between said feeding operations and whilethe strips are held in registration, pressing the apertured margins ofthe record and carbon strips together while applying heat thereto tocause the carbon strip to adhere to the adjacent unaeaactii derlying andoverlying record strips, and at the same time cutting off a previouslysecured-together sheet-length of said strips.

4. The herein described method of making manifolding material, the stepsof forming spaced apertures along a margin of a continuous transferstrip, applying thermo-active adhesive to both faces of the strip alonga margin thereof and allowing the adhesive to dry so that said strip maybe folded and stored, subsequently forming a plu rality of continuousreco'rd strips with corresponding apertures along a margin thereof,interleaving the transfer strip and record strips with the aperturedmargins in superposed relation, registering the strips bymeans of saidapertures, and applying heat'and pressure to the apertured margins ofthe strips to cause the record strips to be adhered together and to thetransfer strip.

.5. The herein described method of making manifolding material, thesteps of forming spaced apertures along a margin of a continuoustransfer stri'p,- applying adhesive to both faces of the .strip alongsaid margin and allowing the adhesive to dry so that said strip may befolded and stored, subsequently forming a plurality of continuous recordstrips with corresponding apertures along the margin thereof,interleaving the transfer strip and record strips with the aperturedmargins of, the strips in superposed relation, registering the strips bymeans of said apertures, and applying heat and pressure to the aperturedmargins of the superposed pile of strips to adhere the record stripstogether and to the transfer strip.

6. In a machine for making manifolding material, means for collating aplurality of record and transfer strips, means for registering saidsuperposed strips, means for feeding the registered superposed strips,and means for applying sumcient heat to a margin of the strip to cause adry thermoplastic'adhesive previously applied to and carried by a marginof the transfer strip to be made effective to adhere the record stripstogether and to the transfer strip.

7. In a machine for making manifolding material, the combination of atable upon which a plurality of record and transfer strips are collated,means for guiding said strips to the table, means for registering thestrips depthwise in superposed relation, means for feeding theregistered superposed strips, and means on the table for applyingsufficient pressure to a marginal portion of the collated strips tocause a dry ad-= hesive previously applied to and carried by a margin ofthe transfer strip to be effective to adhere the record strips togetherand to the transfer strip.

8. In a machine for making manifolding material, the combination of atable upon which a plurality of record and transfer strips are collated,means for guiding said strips to the table, means for registeringthestrips in superposed relation, means for intermittently feeding theregistered strip a predetermined distance, and means on the table toapply pressure to the strip during the intermission of the feed to causean adhesive carried by the transfer strip to be made effective to adhereto the record strips and thereby secure the record strips together andto the transfer strip.

9. In a machine for making manifolding material, the combination of atable upon which a plurality of record and transfer strips are collated,means for guiding-said strips to the table, means for registering thestrips in superposed relation, meansfbr intermittently feeding theregistered strip a predetermined distance, and means on the table toapply heat and pressure to the strip during the intermission of the feedto cause a dry thermoplastic adhesive carried by both faces of thetransfer strip to be made effective to adhere to the record strips andthereby secure the record strips together and to the transfer strip.

10. In a machine for making manifolding sets, the combination of a tableupon which a pluraiity'of record and transfer strips are collated, meansfor guiding said strips to the table, means for registering the stripsin superposed relation, means for intermittently feeding the registeredstrip a predetermined distance, means on the table operable duringintermission of the feed to apply pressure to a portion of thesuperposed pile of strips to cause an adhesive carried by the transferstrip to adhere the record strips together and to the transfer strip,and means operative after the strips have been caused to adhere togetherand before resumption of feed for severing the strips into sheet-lengthunits.

11. In a machine for making manifolding sets, the combination of a tableupon which a plurality of record and transfer strips are collated, meansfor guiding said strips to the table, a reciprocating paper feed deviceon the table comprising pin means for engaging feeding and registeringapertures in the record and transfer strips and adapted to feed saidstrips sheet-length intervals, means on the table for applying heat to aportion of the strip to cause an adhesive carried by the transfer stripto be made eflective to adhere to the record strips and thereby securethe strips to the pile together, said means being operative while saidpin means holds the strips in registration: and means for severing thestrips into sheet-length units after. they have been caused to adheretogether.

12. In a machine for making manifolding material, the combination of atable upon which a plurality of apertured record and transfer strips arecollated, means for guiding the strips to the table, means for feedingthe collated strips comprising a pin for engaging the apertures to feedand register the record and transfer strips, said pin being adapted tofeed the collated strips sheet-length intervals, and means on the tablefor applying sufficient pressure to a marginal portion of the collatedstrips to cause a dry adhesive previously applied to and carried by amargin of transfer strip to be effective to-adhere the record stripstogether and to the transfer p, said means being operable while the pinof the feeding means holds the strips in registered relation.

13. In the herein described method of preparn a continuous transferstrip to be subsequently interleaved with continuous record strips inthe manufacture of manifolding packs, the steps of pp y ng thermo-activeadhesive to both faces of one marginal edge of the transfer strip,allowing the adhesive to dry, and collecting the transfer strip into apackage for storage.

14. In the herein described method of forming adhesive transfer stripsfor making manifolding material, the steps of applying thermoactiveadhesive to both faces of one marginal edge of the transfer strip,allowing the adhesive to dry, and zigzag folding th transfer strip intoa pack preparatory to interleaving the same with record strips to formmanifolding material.

15. In the herein described method of making manifolding material, thesteps of applying thermo-active adhesive to both faces of one marginaledge of a transfer strip, allowing the adhesive to dry, collecting thecontinuous strip into a package, subsequently interleaving a pluralityof the transfer strips with a pluralityvof record strips, pressing theadhesive-carrying edge of the transfer strips into intimate contact withthe overlying and underlying edge portions of adjacent record stripswhile applying heat thereto to cause said transfer strips to cohere tothe underlying and overlying record strips. and cutting said securedtogether strips into sheetlengths.

16. The herein described method of manifolding sets which consists inapplying along one longitudinal edge of a continuous carbon stripthermoplastic adhesive material on both the front and back of saidstrip, storing the so-coated carbon strip until the manifolding sets areto be made, interleaving the continuous carbon strip with continuousrecord strips, collating and registering the record strips and carbonstrips, pressing the adhesive-carrying edge of the carbon strips intointimate contact with the overlying and underlying edge portions of therecord strips while applying heat thereto to cause said carbon strip toadhere to the underlying and overlying record strip, and cutting saidsecured together strips into sheet-lengths.

CARL W. BRENN.

CERTIEIGATKE 0F CORRECTION? Patent No. 2,260,601. October 2 19in. CARLw. BRENNI ,It is hereby certified that error appears in the printedspecification of the above numbered patent requiring correction asfoilows: Page second column, line 15, after "and" insert --one--; line211., for "pilee" read pile--; page 5; first column,- line 57, claini11, for "strips to" read --strips of-; and that the said Letters Patentshould be read with this.

correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 25rd day of December, A. D. 19141.

' Henry Van Arsqale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

